On Tuesday afternoon, the Washington Wizards announced the signing of veteran guard John Lucas.
The signing of the Oklahoma State product seems to be purely for depth reasons, especially with Bradley Beal expected to miss 6-8 weeks with a wrist injury. Along with Andre Miller, the Wizards now have some solid veteran depth to rely on at the guard position.
In six seasons with Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors and Utah Jazz, he appeared in 216 regular season games and averaged 4.8 points and 1.4 assists. in just 42 games last season with the Jazz, he averaged 3.8 points and an assist in 14.1 minutes per game.
Last season, one of Washington’s most promising selling points was their youth. However, youth can sometimes be a team’s downfall when it expects to play meaningful games late in the season and into the postseason.
Having veterans on your bench and in your locker room is a certain bonus. By adding Lucas, a Washington D.C. native, Randy Wittman brings some more experience to the bench that can be relied upon when needed.
Don’t expect to see Lucas often, but he’s a player that understands the role of coming off the bench and can do a solid job. All in all, it’s a solid pickup for the Wizards, even if it seems like a minor one.